Are you and your guest tired of eating chips and salsa? Try spicing up your appetizer spread with healthy Veggie snacks for parties!
Healthy party food appetizer? Can party food be both tasty and healthy? Some people like to offer lighter fare at summer parties, but it can be hard to think of tasty, healthy party food. A lot of planning goes into throwing a perfect party. There is the guest list, decorations, music, and tracking down the one weekend when all of your invitees are free. Now after going through that tremulous list, it is time to plan the menu.
The food is arguably the most important part. It is what your guests will most likely remember and keep them coming back to your house as “the house with great snacks”.
What Makes a Good Healthy Party Food Appetizer?
Finger foods. Something that your guests can eat while standing and mingling. Don’t let a fork and knife slow you down from your game of charades!
Variety. You guest list will likely include a variety of people with different taste buds and preferences, so build a menu with a few different flavor combinations so everyone can find something they enjoy!
Healthy options. “Party foods” tend to be on the decadent side, like glistening nacho dip, chocolate covered chocolate, crispy crust pizza, and galore. Having some light, healthful options in the mix will be greatly appreciated by your guests, and also by people who may need to track their intake.
What Healthy Party Appetizer will Please the Crowd?
When we say healthy party food, we aren’t just saying sad celery sitting by the guacamole. We have some fun ideas for you. Also take a look at this great holiday blog filled with foods to please the crowd!
Here is one of our favorite healthy veggie snacks for parties recipes
Avocado Boats
Directions:
1. Cut avocados in half, and carefully remove the seeds.
2. Gently slice the round edge off of the bottom of the avocado. This will help the avocado boat sit level on the plate
3. Don’t throw those bottoms away! Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and use it inside the boat.
4. Slice and dice tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Add this into the boats along with the extra avocado from step 3.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.
Another healthy and delicious appetizer
Zucchini Crisps
Zucchini is delicious, and in season in the summer time. You can find it easily at the grocery store, or at a farmer’s stand. It is also versatile and goes well with a wide range of flavors, so it will fit in great on your buffet table.
Not a lot goes into this recipe, but your tastebuds will say otherwise! These zucchini crisps have flavor and crunch, you’ll be making them every weekend! Zucchinis are loaded with potassium and vitamin C, making this recipe a healthy and impressive appetizer!
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper then wash and dry zucchini, and slice them into ¼ inch discs. Lay the discs on a sheet of paper towel and lightly sprinkle with salt. This process is very important as the salt will help dry out the zucchini.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until combined. Put the flour in a small bowl and the almond milk in another small bowl.
3. Use a paper towel and pat the excess water off of the zucchini. Then, Dip the discs into the flour and almond milk to coat both sides. Now press both sides of the zucchini into the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini and evenly spread them out on the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes and flip and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Dip in salsa, guacamole, or serve with a cheese plate. For the full ingredient list and recipe instructions for click here. Enjoy!
Another Veggie snacks for parties is Cowboy Caviar!
Cowboy Caviar is great for the guest who like to keep things spicy.
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar is one of my favorite quick recipes because who doesn’t love a fun take on salsa? – seriously it only takes 15 minutes max to make! This is a great dish that is packed with protein and fiber to keep you focused on your Jenga-strategy. This colorful salsa is vegan and gluten-free! You can change the level of spice you want in this dish, and you can even offer extra jalapenos on the side in case anyone wants to kick their portion up a notch!
Dicing the vegetables up as small as possible fit all of this caviar’s flavor into one bite.
Let’s get chopping!
Directions:
1. Open the cans of black beans, black eyed peas, and corn then drain and rinse the contents and put them into a bowl. Drain well to make sure it doesn’t turn watery.
2. Chop bell peppers and the jalepeño. Make sure you de-seed the jalepeño before adding to the bowl. Then dice the tomatoes and onion.
3. Add the cilantro, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic into the bowl of mixed vegetables. You can add cilantro to taste. Drizzle the olive oil and red wine vinegar over the contents in the bowl.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about a tablespoon of pepper and 2 teaspoons salt) and mix well
5. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy this beautiful blend of crunchy and tangy vegetable salsa appetizer! Full list of ingredients and instructions here.
Serve with multi-grain chips, or the zucchini crisps from the previous recipe!
Want more quick crowd-pleasing recipes? Have any favorite party recipes you’d like to share? Follow us on social media and comment your ideas!
Rebecca Bitzer loves to empower Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and their clients. Co-author of Welcome to the Rebelution: Seven steps to the nutrition counseling practice of your dreams and Taste the Sweet Rebellion: Rebel against dieting.
